A bicyclist who was run over by an SUV Thursday in the University District was freed from under the vehicle with the help of good Samaritans who happened to be passing by at the time, officials said.

Emergency personnel responded to the scene, at Northeast 43rd Street and 15th Avenue Northeast about 10:45 a.m. after receiving a report of a crash.

They initially were told that the cyclist was trapped under the vehicle, but after arriving at the crash scene responders found that passers-by had already come to the man's rescue by lifting the vehicle off him.

"Our original report was that he was trapped under the car, but some good Samaritans gathered together in the crowd, and they lifted the car up and were able to free the 28-year-old biker from underneath one of the wheels, where his foot was trapped under the wheel," said Seattle Fire Department spokesman Kyle Moore.

The cyclist was then taken to the hospital by ambulance with unspecified injuries.

It was not immediately known what led to the crash.

Aerial footage from the scene showed emergency responders prying the damaged bicycle from beneath the SUV.